This year HHS valedictorians selected the teachers they believed to be a great influence in their lives. Breanne Sills chose HHS English teacher Glynn Bridgewater, and Anna Baumheckel chose her sixth-grade teacher Mike Leigh. They each had wonderful words of praise and appreciation for these teachers.

The Haywood County School Board met in regular session on Tuesday, June 14, and among other business, voted to extend the current budget until the county budget is approved, and they will be meeting in several special sessions to do end-of-year budget amendments and approve their budget after the county has completed its budget.

In other business, the board, at the request of Superintendent Marlon King, voted to change a policy concerning speaking at board meetings. School board meetings are open to the public, but they are not an open forum, as are most government meetings. The policy has been that if you want to address the board or speak at a board meeting, you must submit a request to get on the agenda five days prior to the meeting. Board members approved to change that to 10 days.

Every year the HHS valedictorians have the opportunity to come to the June board meeting and recognize a teacher whom they believe to have been a great influence in their lives. This year there are two valedictorians, Breanne Sills, who chose HHS English teacher Glynn Bridgewater, and Anna Baumheckel, who chose her sixth-grade teacher Mike Leigh. They each had wonderful words of praise and appreciation for these teachers.

Before the meeting on Tuesday night, there was a retirement reception honoring school system employees who are retiring.

Among those leaving are seven teachers and an administrator who gave Haywood County Schools a combined total of 254 years, 6 months and 2 days of service: Judy Deming, Ida Coleman, Annette Hill, P. J. Angotti, Janet Willis, Myrna Gorman, Suzanne Wallace and Dietra Wade. Others retiring are Joyce Sikes, who has been with the food service department since 1976; cafeteria staff members Peggy Boyd and Vera Adams; teacher assistant Susie Farmer; and bus drivers Cleave Taylor and Johnnie Coleman,